Unnecessary Surgery due to Monetization of Indian Healthcare

Shocking news has been revealed by the media that  44% of the surgery done to the patients are unnecessary. 

"Everything in Indian healthcare is increasingly getting monetized. This is an indicator of that malaise." -Dr Sanjay Nagral, Editorial Board, the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics¹

When a person or his family face any health problem, the first thing done to the ailing person is self medication. Visiting a Hospital for a cure is frowned up when it comes to common ailments. The reason for such self-medication is due to the huge cost involved in the treatment. Our way of socialization of individuals in the society has added huge cost when it comes to healthcare system in India. Where Government is bound to provide health care for every individual in a country, healthcare system in India were delegated to private players. The end result was nothing but monetization of Indian Healthcare system.

Health of an individual is not seen as norms but profit by the present healthcare system. Most affected person is the insurance companies. For people who have mediclaim policies for undergoing any kind of surgical treatment, the insurance companies are going to pay the cost of such unnecessary surgery. Thus leading to undue pressure upon the economy. The report pointed that most of the government scheme which provide insurance cover to poor section of the society are worst hit by these unnecessary surgeries. The taxpayer money being pocketed in the form of insurance claims by the present healthcare institute. A pure drain of state economy.

The report focused prominently on the people who are affected with cardio-vascular diseases. One of dreaded disease in Indian Subcontinent. The faith in the Nobel profession make no person to question the diagnosis of the healthcare professionals. The faith leads to unnecessary surgeries. The second opinion of other healthcare professional is a little relief. The end result for privatizing healthcare system in India was evident in the media report.

While a state-run healthcare system avoid unnecessary surgery on patients, the doctor on private run healthcare recommend surgery for even simple ailments which is profit to those healthcare institutions. The approach of state-run healthcare institution were branded indifferent towards the patients. But the report busted all the myth cast upon the state run healthcare systems.

Source: 1. The report was extracted from the leading news agency, The Times of India.